The Monitor Magazine’s IN FOCUS section this month reports on recent and ongoing efforts to protect all human life and ways to observe October’s Respect Life Month.
‘I
came so that they might
BY BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.
The atmosphere in society today is charged with words and with the realities conveyed by these words: change, accountability, responsibility and, above all, hope! The people of life and for life (cf. Evangelium Vitae, n. 78) are fundamentally a people of hope! We are people of life and for life because we are a people of hope.
The hope of which I speak is not rooted or anchored in an ideal or even in a dream or vision, although the Scriptures speak of old men dreaming dreams and young men seeing visions (cf. Joel 2:28). The hope of which I speak is a Person, the Person of Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, the one and only Savior of humanity. He alone is the source of authentic and enduring hope! He is, in fact, Hope Incarnate!
The Lord Jesus is our hope because He is our Savior. By His Cross and Resurrection, He has put an end to the permanence of evil, sin, suffering and human death; He has opened for us the fountain of life-giving water, in a word, salvation! As He Himself has told us, “I came so that they might have life … and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10).
There is no greater act of injustice than to take away ... life at its very beginning ...
This hope in Him is described so beautifully by St. Paul in his Letter initially to the Christians of Rome and now to us. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Trial, distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? ... For I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord” (Rom 8:35, 38-39). This word of hope both reminds us of and energizes us to be, in name and in fact, pro-life. Precisely because we are a people of life and for life, we necessarily oppose anything and everything which unjustly takes away human life from its first moment at conception all the way through its various stages of development to its last moment at natural death.
The names are varied and all too familiar, including abortion, partial-birth abortion, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia, mercy-killing, and physician-assisted suicide, and so forth – but the reality is always the same: the unjust taking away of human life, God’s greatest gift to us on the human level. Especially heinous and heart-rending is the unjust taking away of the life of an innocent, defenseless, pre-born human being.
There is no greater act of injustice than to take away deliberately and intentionally human life at its very beginning in the womb. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have stated, “the threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed (USCCB, Faithful
have life’
Citizenship).”
Abortion for any reason throughout all nine months of pregnancy, abortion on demand, whatever form abortion takes, whatever excuse it offers, deprives an entire class of human beings – the unborn – the most fundamental right of all rights, the right to life. So, the most basic and immediate restoration of justice must be guaranteeing, upholding and protecting the right to life of every human being, beginning with the most vulnerable of all, the child in the womb.
Our faith requires us to oppose evil and to do good, to oppose abortion on demand and to provide help to mothers facing challenging pregnancies. Moreover, we are being urged by politicians to concentrate only on reducing the number of abortions, making them “legal, safe and rare.” Our response must remain unequivocal and absolutely clear: our goal is not
merely the reduction of abortions but the elimination of all abortions!
We are called to be “pro-life,” and we proclaim that boldly in the month of October. In his Letter to the Philippians, St. Paul writes, “Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.” We have heard and received the Gospel of Life! Our witness to life and for life is ongoing, because the people of hope do not give up! Hope sustains us to persevere and to prevail!
Not only in this month but always, we must be relentless in our support of and witness to life
The conversion of hearts is crucial! We must continue to storm heaven...
Our hope is not in an ideal or in a dream or a vision, but in a Person: The Lord Jesus Christ! This is why first, last and everywhere in between, we turn to the Lord in prayer: prayer at home, personal and communal; prayer in the Church, public and liturgical. To this prayer, we add penance, for we recall Jesus’ words: “This kind of evil you can drive out only by prayer and fasting” (cf. Mk 9:29).
As Christian Catholics, we are seeking a massive conversion of hearts! Although laws prohibiting abortion are vanishing – and deliberately so – throughout our country, in the end, the conversion of hearts is crucial! We must continue to storm heaven, asking for this grace above all other graces: the grace of conversion of hearts to support life in all its stages!
Our prayers will be answered. We must not relinquish that conviction of faith. Hope comes to us, beyond words: the Lord Jesus Himself, Hope Incarnate! He embraces us in Holy Communion: He sends us forth, so that by word and deed, we may live the Gospel of Life and witness to Him, Christ Our Hope. “I came so that they might have life!” We are sent forth to proclaim hope, the hope that forgives and heals, the hope that strengthens and enables all of us in our efforts to eliminate abortion and to promote life! This is the hope that, through God’s grace and only with His grace, will empower us to overturn the current culture of death and to restore and to intensify a renewed culture of life.
This is our time, this October and every day beyond, the time to become even more a people of life and for life, because we are, in Christ and with Christ, a people of hope –today, tomorrow and all days until the victory of life is won and triumphs – for the glory of God and the salvation of the world! Amen.
Pexels/Isaac Taylor photo
Catholics have ‘duty to protect’ all human life, Bishop says at Mass for Life
BY EMMALEE ITALIA Contributing Editor, and MARY STADNYK Associate Editor
Before the standing-room-only congregation gathered in Trenton’s St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral for the first statewide Mass for Life Sept. 26, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., framed his homily around the words “Duty to Protect” when it comes to protecting all human life, especially “the child in their mother’s womb, the child in the mother’s arms and beyond.
“All human life, every human life, from conception to natural death, ours is a duty to protect,” Bishop O’Connell said to the congregation that numbered approximately 1,400. There were about 1,000 in the Cathedral, and another 400 who watched the livestream from the Cathedral parish hall. As of Sept. 27, the diocesan Office of Communications and Media reported that more than 1,200 people had viewed the livestream of the Mass.
“Today in Trenton, we in all the
Bishop O’Connell and Cardinal Tobin pause for a photo; in the background is Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, vicar general.
Mike Ehrmann photos
In his homily for the New Jersey Mass for Life, Bishop O’Connell emphasized the “preeminent priority” of protecting unborn children.
From left, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, Paterson Diocese; Bishop O’Connell; Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., of Newark, and Bishop Dennis Sullivan, Camden Diocese, concelebrate the Mass for Life in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.
Deacon Patrick Brannigan, of the Diocese of Trenton, incenses the Book of the Gospels.
Mass for Life attendees listen to Bishop O’Connell’s homily in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.
RESPECT LIFE
Dioceses of New Jersey affirm that ‘duty.’ One need not be a Catholic to express and believe it. One needs only to be a rational, honest human being. But one cannot, however, be a Catholic without that conviction rooted deep in our souls as a preeminent priority of our faith.”
Referencing the U.S. Bishops’ document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, Bishop O’Connell asserted that the threat of abortion remains “our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because the number of lives destroyed.”
“Remember these words. Preeminent priority – not the only priority but the preeminent, fundamental basis of all other priorities,” Bishop O’Connell said.
Abortion “directly attacks life itself – not some other less-significant aspect of reality, but life. [It] takes place within the sanctuary of the family – whether both parents contribute to the decision or not, they are still parents. Because of the number of lives destroyed, ultimately, death is the choice and outcome whatever the reasons given,” he said.
According to organizers, New Jersey is one of 14 states where large-scale Marches for Life have been held or are planned to be held since the Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. In previous years, the Mass for Life and Rally/March at the New Jersey State House was held near the Jan. 22 anniversary of Roe v. Wade. With a move
Overflow seating and livestreaming for the Mass for Life was provided downstairs in the Cathedral’s parish hall.
to September and a wider invitation to all New Jersey pro-life advocates as well as Catholic parishes and schools across the state, organizers expected a greater turnout.
For the Sept. 26 Mass, livestreamed in both English and Spanish on youtube. com/trentondiocese, Bishop O’Connell joined his brother New Jersey bishops, including Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., of Newark who was principal celebrant. Other Bishops included Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan and Coadjutor Bishop Joseph A. Williams from the Camden Diocese; Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney from the Paterson Diocese, and Newark Auxiliary Bishops Manuel A. Cruz, Michael A. Saporito, Gregory J. Studerus, and Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B. Since Bishop James F. Checchio from the Metuchen Diocese was not able to attend, his Diocese was represented by its vicar general, Father Jonathan S. Toborowsky.
Also concelebrating the Mass were about 65 priests from the various dioceses. Representatives from the five New Jersey dioceses participated in the Mass including as readers, altar servers, gift bearers and the music ministry.
WALKING AS A SINGLE PEOPLE
In remarks at the beginning and end of Mass, Cardinal Tobin extended his thanks to all in attendance for their presence, “as witnesses to the Light that shines in darkness, a Light that the darkness can never overcome.”
At NJ Rally, March, advocates show resolve in ending abortion, supporting women
BY EMMALEE ITALIA Contributing Editor
The first statewide New Jersey Rally and March for Life Sept. 26 saw hundreds of pro-life supporters gathering at the Trenton Statehouse annex in peaceful witness for the dignity of unborn children and their mothers.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Diocese of Paterson opened the rally with a prayer, building on the homily of Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., delivered at the Mass for Life earlier that morning in Trenton’s St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral.
“Roe is overturned, and ‘we have a lot of work to do,’ as Bishop O’Connell reminded us,” he said. He also recalled St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in 1994, and her focus on the unborn, when she asked, “How do we help a mother? Through love.”
“My sisters and brothers, let us never condemn, but let us love – the mom, the dad and the child in the womb,” Bishop Sweeney noted, “and as Bishop O’Connell said, ‘life at every moment from conception to natural death.’”
VOICES OF ADVOCACY
Themed “With Every Woman and For Every Child,” the Rally and March for Life saw an ecumenical gathering of pro-life advocates, including groups from every diocese in the state, as well as multiple Catholic school and parish delegations. Students of St. Ann School, Lawrenceville, led those gathered in the Pledge of Allegiance, while the one-mile march that followed the rally was led by students and staff of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, carrying the event’s signature banner.
Although he was unable to attend in person, Representative Christopher Smith, (R-NJ, 4th district), parishioner of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting, provided a statement that was read during the Rally.
“...no human rights abuse need be forever.”
“On behalf of my wife Marie and I, thanks to each of you for your extraordinary perseverance, courage, compassion, and above all, love for the weakest and most vulnerable,” Smith wrote. “As we all know far too well, the pro-abortion culture . . . continues to deny, devalue and disrespect unborn baby girls and boys, and trivialize the harm suffered by women. Many states, including our own under Gov. Murphy, have enacted extremist laws that legally sanction the killing of a baby … for any reason whatsoever, right up to the moment of birth.
“But no human rights abuse need be forever,” Smith continued. “We will never, never, never quit in our defense of the un-
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese delivers the opening prayer at the Rally for Life. Rose O’Connor photo
born children and their mothers. Now more than ever, we must double down, and pray, fast and work even harder to protect women and children from the violence of abortion.”
“Your presence here is a testament to the strength of the pro-life movement. You are all bright shining lights of joy and hope here today,” said NJ Right to Life director Marie Tasy. She pointed to the work of some 50 pregnancy resource centers in New Jersey, and a recent report that revealed they served more than 23,000 men, women and youth in 2022, and provided services valued at more than $3 million.
“They did it all without receiving state or federal funding,” Tasy said. “These centers give them the true choice, and because of the services they provide, thousands of children are alive today, and thousands of women have been spared the pain and grief of abortion.”
Other speakers at the rally included state legislators,
healthcare workers, National and New Jersey March for Life representatives, abortion survivors and faith leaders – several of whom offered remarks from a Catholic perspective.
RESPONDING WITH LOVE, ACTION
“We are bringing truth with love,” said Sister Deirdre “DeDe” Byrne, a religious sister of the Little Workers of the Sacred Heart. A veteran with the retiring rank of colonel, Sister Dede works as a surgeon among the poor; her mission includes offering abortion pill reversal.
Referring to a woman who came to the convent for assistance, Sister Dede described her reversal as unsuccessful. The woman asked Sister Dede, “Will God forgive me?”
“God already forgave you; you have to forgive yourself,” the nun replied.
Faculty and students of the Celebrate Life Club of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, line up to lead the state March for Life. Mike Ehrmann photo
Rally for Life attendees gather at the Statehouse Annex in spite of the drizzle, cheering at times for their love for the unborn. Mike Ehrmann photo
Sister Dierdre “DeDe” Byrne talks about her ministry to pregnant women in crisis as a Little Worker of the Sacred Heart. Mike Ehrmann photo
Leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the Rally for Life were students from St. Ann School, Lawrenceville. Mike Ehrmann photo
Representatives of Donovan Catholic High School, Toms River, walk in the one-mile March for LIfe in Trenton.
Mike Ehrmann photo
Novena is time to pray for all respect life issues
As October is the month the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will hold its annual Respect Life Novena Oct. 22 to Oct. 30.
The novena prays for the protection of human life, from conception to natural death, and includes a wide breadth of Respect Life topics including pregnancy support, the death penalty, persons with disabilities, healing after abortion and more.
The USCCB will post the novena on social media daily at 6 a.m. ED. Each day of the novena features a different prayer intention, as well as a short reflection, suggested actions, and additional information to help participants go deeper.
The social media accounts where the novena will be posted include: Facebook: facebook.com; X (formerly Twitter): x.com/usccb; Threads: www.threads.net@usccb.
‘I Came So That They Might Have Life’
RESPECT LIFE REFLECTION
FROM STAFF REPORTS
During the Easter Vigil liturgy, the single flame of the Easter candle shines through the darkness. That small flame spreads as each person’s candle is lit and the Light of Christ is shared with others. Before we know it, the entire Church is ablaze with the warm glow of candlelight and the darkness has been vanquished. We are each called by God to be that Light of Christ that breaks through the darkness. We are called to be his disciples, continually transformed by our encounter with him and sharing in his mission. Jesus came that we might have life
Part of the impetus for the Eucharistic Revival was a concern that some Catholics do not believe, or at least do not understand, that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. Even though our human senses perceive bread and wine, the Eucharist is Jesus – body, blood, soul and divinity. Similarly, many people do not realize or acknowledge the sanctity of human life when it is hidden in the womb. Both instances call for us to help others recognize these sacred gifts that may not be perceivable through our human senses. We need to help others understand that just because something may not be apparent to our eyes does not mean that it is not there or that it is not important.
We live in a society that rejects
those who are weak, fragile, or vulnerable. Yet, it is precisely within these conditions that a person is most in need of our care and protection. Pope Francis reminds us that “every child who, rather than being born, is condemned unjustly to being aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ, bears the face of the Lord, who even before he was born, and then just after birth, experienced the world’s rejection.”
The U.S. bishops have affirmed that, while it is important to address all the ways in which human life is threatened, “abortion remains our pre-eminent priority as it directly attacks our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, destroying more than a million lives each year in our country alone.”
As Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “we are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, death and life, the ‘culture of death’ and the ‘culture of life’. …we are all involved and we all share in it, with the inescapable responsibility of choosing to be unconditionally pro-life.”
In the face of challenges such as abortion and physician-assisted suicide, we may feel that we are not equal to the task of overcoming the darkness. Yet, we are not alone. Jesus tells us, “I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
The God who became man to save us still dwells among us. For Christ is “the light [that] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). He is the one who overcame death and continually raises us to new life. He remains close to us always, seeking us out in each moment of our lives.
Jesus gave his very flesh to give us the gift of eternal life and invites us to the most profound experience of this gift in our celebration of the Eucharist. When we meet Jesus in the Eucharist, this encounter has the power to change us. The Eucharist has the power to transform the
depths of our hearts and the heart of our culture. United to the power of his Eucharistic Presence, may we work to ensure that each person has life—and has it in abundance.
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright
owner. All rights reserved. Excerpts from Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life), © 1995 and “Address of Holy Father Francis to Participants in the Meeting Organized by the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations” © 2013, Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2024, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.
Statewide Mass for Life rallies faithful
The Cardinal said, “What we just did goes by many names, one of them being the ancient ‘O esca viatorum,’ food for the wayfarers, food for the pilgrims, food for the people like us, people who walk together as a single people, following the same Lord, coming from God and returning to God.
“The beauty of a pilgrimage is not simply getting to wherever we were going to go. It’s what happens to us on the way. We’ve been nourished by food, the
“Thank you for saying yes to him, and to his littlest brothers and sisters.”
Body and Blood of Jesus. And we leave here as the Body of Christ, called to be light and salt and hope to this world,” the Cardinal said.
“Thank you for saying yes to him, and to his littlest brothers and sisters.”
Following the Mass, many of the congregants took part in the NJ Rally and March for Life held on the grounds
of the State House annex, where they offered peaceful witness to the sanctity of unborn life. The Mass was organized by New Jersey’s five Roman Catholic dioceses, while the rally and march were organized by March for Life, a national organization that promotes the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion – uniting, educating and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square.
MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES
Organizers and congregants expressed gratitude for the opportunity to come together and show their support for life through prayer.
Terry Ginther, diocesan chancellor and executive director of Pastoral Life and Mission, commented on the “wonderful witness” it was to have the bishops, priests, deacons and lay faithful from the five Roman Catholic dioceses in New Jersey praying together in a Mass for Life in the capital city.
“There was a real sense of solidarity and a willingness to persevere in prayer and action,” Ginther said.
“We are in this together for as long as it takes for hearts and minds to em-
brace God’s gift of life,” Ginther said.
Colleen White, director of admissions at Villa Victoria Academy, West Trenton, said she believes it’s important for pro-lifers to “show up and show our representatives from New Jersey that this is an important issue – maybe the most important issue – and that there are people who want to preserve the sanctity of life.”
“It’s just an important visual representation of Catholics in our state, and that we have a voice – we’re voters,” she said.
Looking at the contingent of students who came to the Mass, White said the youth “are our future leaders, so we need to instill in them that this is something we need to pay attention to, and we need to make sure they realize this issue’s importance – so, to bring them to Masses like this, to bring them to the Rally, to take them to Rosaries for Life – these are all things that as parents and educators we need to be doing.”
Wearing bright yellow T-shirts and taking up several pews in the Cathedral, the students and moderators from the Celebrate Life Club of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, offered a compelling witness.
“It’s a really important cause, and we wanted to help out with the March,” said Marie Conway, senior. High schoolers must speak out so “you get younger voices and younger people’s opinions.” The pro-life young voice in society right now “is quieter, especially in school, where your classmates have different opinions.”
Riley Carr, also a senior, said she wanted to attend so she could learn more about the right to life and hear more opinions.
“I think it’s cool to see what everyone else has to say about it, and not just my school’s perspective,” Carr said.
Senior Marianna Samuel said she believes the presence of young people at a respect life event “makes a statement”
Students and staff of Donovan Catholic High School, were among many Catholic schools representing the Diocese of Trenton as well as the other New Jersey dioceses. Mike Ehrmann photo
about what they believe and “especially in a state that supports pro-choice.”
Lois Currie of Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, said her passion for the respect life movement was fueled when her grandson was born premature at seven months. “I could hold him in my hand,” she said. “And now he’s 19 years old and he’s big and tall and healthy.
“When I look at him, I’m reminded that he wasn’t just a fetus,” Currie said. “He is a viable child of God.”
CONTINUE THE FIGHT
In his homily, Bishop O’Connell recounted that “two years ago and 65 million abortions later, the Supreme Court at long last overturned its tragic Roe v. Wade.
“Sadly, that reversal has not ended abortion in our country. It simply passed the buck to the states. Here in New Jersey, we have on the books the most permissive abortion laws in our nation, with still more anticipated. The fight is in our hands,” the Bishop said.
Bishop O’Connell offered encouragement to the congregation, saying there is no doubt that “our presence marching on the front lines, our persistence, our raised voices, our prayers have made a difference as Roe v. Wade fades into one of the saddest chapters of American history.
“Now is not the time for us to fade with it, to sit back, to diminish our presence and persistence, to lower our voices, to weaken our witness, to minimize the consistency of our prayers,” he said.
“Today, as we share the greatest of all prayers, the Eucharist, let us ask the Lord Jesus who gave his life for all of us, born and unborn, to give us the grace to fulfill our ‘duty to protect’ – protect the innocent, most vulnerable child in the womb throughout their life; to love and support and encourage their mothers and fathers to let them live; to walk with mothers and fathers, to work with renewed strength to build a culture of life and a civilization of love.”
Rally, March a time of prayer and presence
Continued from 13
She then added, “To all the priests out there, I thank you for your priesthood … without you we would not have reconciliation to be in the state of grace.”
Felicia Pricenor, from the National March for Life and former associate director for the Virginia Catholic Conference, reminded the crowd of their “critical role in protecting life.”
“It is critical that we march here at the Statehouse, letting our legislators know that we are here, and we will not stop marching until every woman and every child, born and unborn, is protected in New Jersey,” she said.
Pricenor also referenced the more than 3,000 pregnancy resource centers in operation across the country, which provide assistance to mothers and families and make choosing life easier. But a current piece of New Jersey legislation – A861 –could jeopardize those centers’ work.
“The bill uses New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act – which is meant to protect
you from legitimate fraud and business scams – to punish PRCs and attack them,” Pricenor said. “This proposed legislation is meant to attack their freedom of speech and discredit the work they perform, which would threaten the life-affirming work they do for women and families across the state. PRCs, as we know, provide free ultrasounds and pregnancy tests, they give families resources such as diapers and formula.”
“These centers ... need to be able to continue to provide critical care ...”
Pricenor urged people to contact their representatives and voice their opposition to the proposed bill. “We cannot allow these centers – who are trusted community members … to be threatened by this piece of legislation. They need to be able to continue to provide the critical care to families.”
Pro-life supporters join in the Rally for Life opening prayer with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, Diocese of Paterson. Mike Ehrmann photo